Righting The Wrongs
by Lilac Moon
Summary: An Underworld fix it fic - one shot. Emma didn't have a vision of Neal on the way to the Underworld. Instead, they come face to face Underbrooke. Neal helps Emma realizes the danger to them all when her uncle vows revenge on her father. David's father finds him and he learns the truth behind his death and who murdered him. Snowing. Swanfire. Warning Anti CS. Anti Hook.


Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time.

AN: This is a one shot – An Underworld fix it fic. Emma didn't have a vision of Neal on the way to the Underworld. Instead, they find him in Underbrooke's version of Granny's and he's upset that Emma has dragged their son, her parents, and the others to the Underworld to go after Hook. Neal makes a few things clear to Emma when he finds Robert and reveals his murderer to David. This is Snowing and Swanfire, with mentions of Outlaw Queen.

 **Warning: this is anti-Hook and doesn't portray him in a very nice light. You've been warned!**

Righting the Wrongs

 _ **The Underworld**_

The instant his lips touched hers, Snow realized why David was suddenly wearing different clothes. Because it wasn't David at all. The kiss was nothing like how her husband kissed her. There was nothing behind it, no emotion or love like she felt with Charming. Even normal kisses for them felt like magic and she always felt her heart flutter when his lips touched hers. This man may have looked exactly like her husband, but he was a sad imitation.

"James," she hissed, as their lips parted.

"Mmm...I can see why my brother likes you. Tell Dave there's a new Sheriff in town," James said, as he quickly made his way to the back of the diner. She felt her husband behind her before she saw him.

"Was that my brother?" he asked, seeing the retreating form.

"Yes…" Snow replied. She was about to say more when they heard another voice.

"Snow? David?" a voice asked. They turned to see Neal sitting in a booth, looking horrified that they were there.

"Neal…" Snow uttered.

"God...you guys are here…" he said, as he started to panic. Her eyes widened.

"Oh no...we're not dead," she assured.

"What? Then how…" Neal uttered, as the rest of their group piled into the diner.

"Dad!" Henry called. Neal was pretty sure he'd be having a heart attack if he wasn't already dead.

"Henry...why are you here? Emma, why is he here in the Underworld?" Neal started to panic.

"We...we came to find Hook. It's a long story...but he shouldn't have died," Emma squeaked. Neal rolled his eyes.

"That pirate has been cheating death for the better part of two hundred years," Neal replied.

"I love him," Emma said defensively.

"So you had to drag our son and your parents here?" he exclaimed.

"They're here for Hook too!" Emma claimed, but then saw the look her parents exchanged.

"Mom...Dad…you're agree with me, right? You're here to help Hook too," she said. David sighed.

"Emma...we love you. We're here for _you_...because _you_ need us," David confessed.

"Honey...the only thing that would get us to leave your little brother is if it was something to help _you_ ," Snow said. Honestly, they had hated this whole idea from the beginning, but they were afraid of Emma rejecting them again if they didn't agree to help her.

"But Hook…" she uttered.

"Tried to kill us all," David interrupted.

"Why doesn't that surprise me. What the hell have I missed?" Neal muttered.

"Much…" another voice said. Neal turned and smiled at his father.

"Papa…" he said.

"Bae…" Rumple replied, as they embraced. Henry shared a smile with his grandparents. Seeing Henry this happy again was worth the trip down here. They were only hoping Emma could see it too. Maybe this would help her let the pirate go. Snow and David knew true love when they saw it, they practically personified it themselves, after all. What Emma had with Neal had been true love. What she had with Hook wasn't.

"I need to find Killian," Emma said, almost desperately. Neal sighed. He almost didn't recognize Emma, but she had been through a lot. Being the Dark One probably left deeper scars than any of them realized, including Emma herself.

"Well, if I had to guess, he's probably with his brother. Liam runs a bar on the other side of...whatever this place is," Neal said, reluctant to call it an actual town. With that, Emma rushed out of the diner. Snow and David sighed, as they started to follow.

"Dad...let's go with them. If anyone can get Mom to see reason, it's you," Henry pleaded.

"Maybe...but there's someone else that might be able to put Hook in a whole new light," Neal said.

"We all know what the pirate is. David's right...he tried to kill us all. And I may have tried to kill Snow and David many times as well…" Regina trailed off.

"But you've changed, Mom. Grams and Gramps know that, but I think they also know that Hook hasn't changed," Henry replied.

"He's right...more than you know," Neal added.

"What do you mean?" Robin asked.

"I mean he's the reason David grew up without a father. Come on, there's someone we need to find. Emma needs to know exactly who she's trying to bring into this family," Neal said, as he led them in the opposite direction.

* * *

Emma walked into the bar and gazed around at the dimly lit surroundings.

"Well, well, someone finally gave you what you deserved it seems, dahling," a female voice hissed.

"Cruella…" she uttered, as the fur clad woman sat at a table with a glass of gin and a man that was a copy of her father. In looks only perhaps though, for James' eyes were much colder than her father's.

"So...you're my niece," he commented, seemingly unimpressed.

"I'm looking for someone," she said.

"Yes...the smarmy pirate you seem obsessed with. He's right over there," Cruella said in delight. Emma's eyes scanned over to the bar and she smiled, as Killian sat there and from the description, she knew the man behind the bar to be Liam. But she frowned, as she saw him smiling at some woman that was leaned over the bar, obviously flirting with him.

"You were right, Jimmy dahling. She is alive," Cruella commented, as she touched Emma's hair. The blonde shrugged her away.

"I told you...she dragged them all down here. But you know what that means," he prompted.

"Our ticket out of here," Cruella laughed. Emma glared at her.

"You really think I'm gonna let you two take my place and the place of someone else back in the land of the living?" she growled. They laughed at her.

"Oh no dahling...we don't plan to take your place. Now your Mummy and Daddy on the other hand…" Cruella said deviously. James chuckled.

"My brother stole everything from me and now I get the chance to do the same to him," he hissed. Emma's eyes widened, as she was suddenly starting to realize how much danger she had just put her parents in by letting them follow her down here.

"Don't worry, that little loft apartment is all ready and waiting for them to accommodate them for eternity," Cruella goaded.

"My parents don't belong down here," Emma refuted.

"You should have thought about that before you came here, princess. Once we take their place, I have a feeling their unfinished business will trap them forever. There's nothing like abandoning another child to make sure they can never move on," Cruella commented. Emma's eyes widened. Her baby brother...how had she almost forgotten him? Her thoughts were interrupted again though by another voice.

"Swan?" Hook questioned.

"Killian…" she uttered, as she ran over to him.

"What are you doing here?" he hissed.

"I came to save you," she said, taken aback by his anger.

"I told you to let me go," he snapped.

"But…" she started to protest when they heard a commotion.

"Get your hands off her!" she heard her father growl. She gasped, as she saw her parents being forcibly led into the bar by four men, probably former black knights, and obviously employed by her Uncle now.

"Seems I was right to send six of you. Where are the other two?" James asked.

"You were right, Your Highness. They put up a good fight," one of the answered. He was sporting obvious cuts and bruises. Her parents weren't ones to go down easily. James smirked and approached them. Snow shuddered, as he caressed her face, ignoring Cruella's huff of jealousy.

"Don't touch her," David growled. James smirked and then punch his brother in the jaw. Snow cried out, as her husband coughed and spit a little blood, but didn't stop his defiant glower he had for his twin.

"You stole everything from me…" James hissed.

"I didn't steal anything from you! It's not my fault your own arrogance got you killed!" David yelled back. James wrapped his hand around his brother's neck and balled his fist.

"I'm going to enjoy this," he said, as he wound up, intending to bring his fist down on his brother again.

"No...stop!" Snow cried, as she kicked and struggled against her captor's grip. Fortunately, at that moment, James was blasted away with magic. Snow expected it to be her daughter that had come to the rescue, but found it was Regina, who now stood in the doorway with the rest of their family.

The former black knights were all too familiar with the Queen's magic and released Snow and David without any protest.

"Thank you," Snow and David both said, as Henry hugged them both. Cruella helped James to his feet and they glared at the newcomers.

"What the bloody hell is all this?" Hook demanded to know.

"They came to help me get you back," Emma said, hoping that he was touched by the gesture.

"Emma...did you just miss the part where your parents almost became permanent residents here?" Neal asked.

"And orphaned your baby brother," Regina added.

"Mom...Dad...I'm sorry, but we came here, because I'm giving into love...like you did," Emma said. They shifted uncomfortably and exchanged a glance, having a silent conversation.

"Emma...your mother and I love you more than anything, but coming here was a mistake," David said. Emma looked at them in disbelief.

"But...Hook is my true love," she squeaked.

"Is that why he ran straight to my mother when he got here?" Neal interjected. Emma whipped around and looked to Hook for confirmation.

"I loved her for a long time, Emma. Seeing her again was overwhelming," Hook tried to explain. Neal snorted.

"So overwhelming that you jumped back into bed together," he muttered bitterly. David snorted.

"You didn't even wait a day before you moved on from my daughter?" he commented, but Killian ignored the Prince.

"You're with Milah again?" she asked.

"I am," he confessed.

"But I thought what we had...it was true love," she said. He rolled his eyes.

"We're not your parents, Emma, far from it. No matter how much you wanted us to be," he replied.

"So all those things you said...and did…" she started to say tearfully.

"You know why I did them," he leered and David clenched his fist.

"Charming...now is not the time," Snow chided, as she held him back. His harsh words broke through the fog in Emma's mind and she sobered, realizing what a fool she had been to ever entertain a future with him.

"I hope you had a good laugh at my expense," she said tearfully.

"Swan...it wasn't like that. We both caught up in whatever this was. But you turning me into the Dark One...it soured whatever we had," he admitted. She nodded.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"It's okay, Swan. I know I'm a man that's not easy to resist," he leered.

"That does it," Charming snapped, as he started toward the pirate, who backed away in amusement.

"Oh don't act all high and mighty, pirate!" Neal cried.

"What the bloody hell is your problem, Baelfire?" Hook demanded to know.

"You never belonged in this family and I think it's time everyone knows why," Neal snapped.

"What are you talking about?" Emma asked.

"I believe he's talking about me," a new voice said, as they all turned.

"And you are?" Hook asked. The man smiled slightly.

"You don't recognize me," he replied.

"Should I?" Hook inquired.

"Father?" David asked in disbelief.

"Hello David," Robert said fondly, as he looked to James.

"Hello James," he added.

"You're...you're here…" David uttered.

"Yes...as you can imagine, I have unfinished business, but not for the reasons you might think," Robert said, as he came closer.

"You mean how you fell off the wagon? And then tumbled off a cliff, because you were drunk?" David spat angrily.

"Son...I know that's what you were told. But it's not the truth," Robert tried to explain.

"What are you talking about?" he demanded to know.

"When I left on that two week trip, it wasn't for supplies. I went to find your brother. I went to get him back, because he ran away from the King. I didn't drink a drop," Robert explained. David looked at his twin.

"Is that true?" he asked.

"I ran off a lot when I was a kid. I might have met him. Father tells me of how he saved me from being taken back to some farm to be raised by a lowly, poor as dirt Shepherd," James recalled.

"You weren't happy with the King. You didn't want to become a Knight and kill for him," Robert retorted.

"I was six. I didn't know what I wanted. I became a great Knight...and then he stole everything from me," James hissed.

"You were cut down in your prime, because of arrogance and the way that man raised you. You can't blame David for your life being cut short," Robert reasoned.

"Watch me," James growled.

"You blame me or George. But you don't blame David," Robert replied.

"Forgive me for interrupting this little family squabble, but what does this have to do with me?" Hook asked.

"You really don't remember me?" Robert asked.

"Can't say I do, mate," Hook replied.

"I suppose that's fair. You've killed a lot of people, so I guess they all start to look the same," Robert said, making Hook frown.

"What?" David asked.

"My unfinished business is my boys, but not for the reason you were told," Robert said.

"Papa?" Neal asked, as Gold materialized a dream catcher and handed it to the Charming, who looked at it in question. But those questions were soon answered, as the dream catcher contained a memory and it played out before their eyes.

He watched George's men, who were ordered to kill his father, be cut down. But his savior was no savior, as Hook appeared.

" _Please...I won't tell anyone I ever saw you. I have a son,"_ Robert pleaded.

" _Sorry mate...but dead men tell no tales,"_ Hook said, as he speared David's father through the abdomen. Snow gasped and put a hand over her mouth. This time, she didn't stop her husband, as he lunged at the pirate.

"You Son of a Bitch!" David screamed, as he punched him in the mouth. Hook jumped back, as Neal and Robin managed to hold him back from throwing more punches.

"David...please, revenge is not your way," Robert soothed. Snow put herself in his line of vision and cupped his face in her hands.

"Charming...look at me," she pleaded.

"He's not worth it," she said.

"He murdered my father…" he hissed.

"Yes...because that's who he is. We gave him the benefit of the doubt before all this and he failed those expectations miserably," she replied, as he started to struggle less.

"You are twice...three times the man he is. We're going to go home and he's going to stay here," Snow reminded. David stopped struggling completely and she hugged her husband tightly, brushing her hand soothingly along the back of his neck. She then gently prodded him toward his father and the two hugged tightly. Snow put her hand to her heart, as she watched Robert cradled David's head. When they parted, he glared at Hook.

"He needs to pay," David said.

"Oh he'll pay by being stuck in this limbo for eternity, because he knows what awaits him if he moves on isn't pleasant," Rumple commented.

"You're one to talk, Crocodile," Hook hissed.

"Oh I never denied what I am, dearie," he retorted.

"You made me this!" Hook accused.

"No...you chose to be this," Emma realized, as they turned to her.

"My father lost his father...and then his mother, who was murdered. My Mom's parents were both murdered too. I lost my parents, because of the curse...but we didn't burn the world around us," Emma said. Snow and David shared a smile. Their Emma was slowly coming back. She took her parent's hands.

"I'm sorry...this could have been really bad. Let's go home," she said.

* * *

A final task remained though and that was for David to convince his father to move on. Rumple led them beneath Underbrooke to the place that final judgments were made. Beyond the river of lost souls, they came to an abyss where a lake of fire churned below and the gap between them and the other side was far too large to jump.

"This is it?" David asked.

"Yes...this is where the final decisions are made when a soul is ready to move on," Rumple replied.

"David…I'm not sure I can move on and leave your brother," Robert said uncertainly.

"Father...I'm not sure James will ever be able to move on or accept us as his family. You should be with Mother," David urged. Robert smiled and put his hands on his son's shoulders.

"I'm so proud of the man you've become, David," Robert said.

"I wish things were different or I wish I had known. I blamed you all my life," David lamented.

"It's okay...now you know that I never wanted to leave you or your mother. I thought I had a chance to get James back and fix our family. Things just went badly," Robert explained. David nodded and hugged him tightly. It was then that a bridge appeared over the gap and a bright light shined down upon them. Robert looked at it in awe. As he started to walk toward the bridge, David heard a gasp behind him and his wife call out.

"Charming…" she cried. As he turned, his eyes widened in horror. His brother had sneaked up behind her and now had her in a headlock with a gun to her head.

"James…" he growled.

"You're taking my place down here, brother," he growled.

"James...please don't do this," Robert pleaded. But he cocked the gun and pressed it tightly against Snow's temple.

"You take my place or I blow her pretty head off," he hissed. Emma and Regina raised their hands, ready to blast him with magic, but essentially he was using Snow as a shield against that.

"Okay...okay...just don't hurt her," he pleaded, as he put his hands up in surrender. James snickered.

"She makes you weak, brother. I mean...I understand the appeal, but willingly dying for a piece of tail...even a nice one like this," he hissed in Snow's ear, as he let his eyes scan her body appreciatively.

"Don't talk about my wife like that," David growled.

"I'm giving the orders. Go to the edge of that precipice," James ordered, pointing the gun at him.

"David!" Snow cried, as her husband walked back toward the edge.

"Dad!" Emma cried.

"Grandpa!" Henry called.

"Jump," James ordered. David looked down into the fiery hell below. He looked back at Snow's tearful face and for her, he would do anything.

"Charming...please don't," she pleaded.

"I love you," he said. James was so distracted that he didn't see Neal sneaking up behind him, but Snow caught him out of the corner of her eye. At the exact right second, she bit James' arm, just as Neal tackled him and they went rolling to the ground. James threw Neal off and he went rolling over the edge. Emma caught his hand and he gripped the edge, dangling above the fiery abyss.

"Emma...you can't hold me. I'll pull you in too," he said.

"I'm not letting you go...I'm not letting you go again," she sobbed.

"Dad!" Henry cried, as Regina held him back. Another hand grabbed his other arm.

"I'm not letting you go again either, Bae," Rumple said, as together, they pulled him up.

James grabbed the gun again and pointed it at David.

"David!" Snow screamed, as he fired at her husband. She screamed and at the last moment, Robert shoved his son down out of the path of the bullet. He was struck and while the bullet couldn't hurt him, the force of it threw him off the cliff.

"Father!" David cried, as he fell into the abyss. Regina blasted the gun out of James' hand and then waved her hand, causing him to lose consciousness.

The most miraculous thing happened next, as Robert was lifted back onto the bridge and the light bathed him in its glow.

"Father…" David uttered in awe.

"Goodbye son...I love you," Robert said.

"I love you too," David replied, as Snow put her arms around him and they watched him disappear into the light.

"Oh Charming…" Snow said, as she took her husband in her arms.

"You guys need to all go home before Hades decides to make you all permanent residents," Neal insisted, as Henry hugged him tightly.

"I miss you...I don't want to leave you," Henry cried. Neal hugged him tightly.

"I know buddy...but you don't belong here," Neal said.

"Neither do you, Baelfire," a female voice said, as they all whipped around to see who the newcomer was. She wore a long gown and was very beautiful.

"Who are you?" Emma asked.

"I am Athena and I've come to right a wrong," she replied, as she looked over the group.

"Coming here was very unwise, Savior," she chided.

"I know...I know that now. Hook...he's not my true love," Emma admitted.

"Yes...you made a mistake, but you have been through so much. You all have. Baelfire…" she said, as she turned to him.

"Your lifeline was not meant to be cut when it was," Athena revealed.

"What does that mean?" Snow asked anxiously. She smiled.

"It means that the author can fix all of this," she replied, as all eyes turned to Henry.

"But...I snapped the pen in half," Henry said, as he felt his heart sink.

"Which sent it here to the Underworld," Athena said, as she opened her palm, revealing the broken pen. They watched in amazement, as she mended it and handed it to him.

"But I thought I wasn't supposed to manipulate events?" he asked.

"Normally, you shouldn't, but there are exceptions and this is one of them. Your father's lifeline shouldn't have been cut by the fates when it was and none of you should be here. You can fix all it, author," Athena said, as the book appeared in his hand.

He opened to the last blank page, right next to the new information they had learned, like David's father being murdered and finally being able to move on with his killer revealed. And that Captain Hook was exactly where he belonged. Henry put the pen to the page and new text was magically scrawled.

"The heroes, as they searched for a way home, learned that one of their own they had lost did not belong in the Underworld either. Since the snipping of Baelfire's lifeline was unjust, the Goddess Athena granted permission to the author to rectify this. Baelfire's lifeline was restored and his body renewed," Henry said, as a glow enveloped Neal, much to everyone's amazement.

"Then a portal back to Storybrooke was opened and the heroes filed through," Henry wrote, as a swirling vortex appeared before them. Emma and Neal smiled at their son and walked through with him between them. Snow and Charming smiled at each other and followed them, with Robin and Regina right behind them. And lastly, Rumpelstiltskin, with tears still in his eyes, followed them through scarcely believing the reality that he had his son back. The trip to the Underworld had in fact been a mission to right a wrong, but not the one Emma had initially taken them there for. And now, all was right again.


End file.
